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The Perfect Peru Itinerary

06/12/2018 by Kristin 19 Comments

The best Peru itinerary that starts from Lima, to Huacachina, Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, The Amazon, and so much more. If you are looking for an adventure in Peru, this itinerary is perfect for you. #PeruTravelTips #SouthAmerica
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When I started planning out my Peru trip I Googled ‘Peru itinerary’ and found that I had a lot of narrowing down to do.

I had no idea back then how diverse Peru is. I felt like the options were so very good and so incredibly different even though Peru is just one country. A trip there can take you through a variety of experiences, cultures, and especially climates.

Within the span of one week I had gone from the mountains of Cusco to the jungles of the Amazon and then to the sand dunes of Huacachina, finishing in the capital of Lima. At no point over the past six years of my traveling have I experienced so much variety in such a short time and within the same country.

So with that in mind, here’s an itinerary template with different options beginning in Lima:

Table of Contents

  • Lima
  • Huacachina
  • Cusco
  • Rainbow Mountain
  • Arequipa
  • Lake Titicaca
  • Cordillera Blanca
  • The Amazon
  • Getting Around:
  • READ NEXT: 15 things to Know Before Hiking the Inca Trail

Lima

peru itinerary
In Miraflores

Chances are you’ll be flying into or out of Lima. The city doesn’t have the best reputation in terms of safety, but each time I passed through I ended up liking it more and more. I suggest staying in Baranca, a hipster neighborhood, or Miraflores, which is a seaside neighborhood with lovely Airbnbs.

Check out the catacombs in the city and visit Palomino island to see the sea lions, finishing with a lovely sunset along the promenade in Miraflores.

Huacachina

peru itinerary
So gorgeous (can you spot the dune buggy?)

Located about five hours south of Lima by bus, this desert oasis is perfect for an overnight. Hop in a dune buggy in the late afternoon and enjoy the ride! You can either sled or sand down the dunes and finish with a lovely sunset. Bonus points if you wake up and climb the dune for sunrise.

This is a tiny town without much to do other than enjoying the dunes, though it is a good jumping off point if you’d like to fly over the Nazca lines.

To get there, take a bus from Lima to Ica and then a taxi to Huacachina. Read the full Huacachina guide here.

Cusco

peru itinerary
The highlight

You absolutely can’t go to Peru without visiting Cusco. This is the jumping off point for Machu Picchu, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, which was a big motivating factor for you to go to Peru in the first place, amiright?

The town itself is lovely with Spanish colonial architecture mixed with Incan structures. You’re also close to the Sacred Valley, the beautiful salt mines, and of course, the Inca Trail. Alternatively, you’re also close to the Salkantay and Lares trails.

salinas de maras peru itinerary
At the salt mines – Too cool!

Be sure to acclimate in town for a few days before attempting anything too strenuous, as you’ll be pretty high up. There are some nice ruins to check out like Sacsayhuamán, markets with alpaca sweaters, lovely little coffee shops and even a few vegan restaurants. Read the full Cusco guide here.

Rainbow Mountain

rainbow mountain peru itinerary
Yep, this is cool!

Rainbow Mountain really is rainbow-y in person! For me, this was a highlight of my Peru trip. You’ll be jumping off from Cusco and driving for three hours, taking off very early in the morning. This trail tops out at over 5000 m, so do this once you’re acclimated. Ideally, schedule it for after the Inca Trail or another trek in the area. It’s the perfect day trip to finish off your Cusco experience. Read more about how to do Rainbow Mountain the right way here.

Arequipa

arequipa peru itinerary
So beautiful!

Also known as the White City, Arequipa is a colonial city framed by three volcanoes. For those who love history and architecture, the Plaza de Armas and the 17th-century neoclassical Basilica Cathedral and museum could easily take up a day on their own. This is Peru’s second most populous city and while I haven’t visited myself, I’ve heard only good things.

Lake Titicaca

peru itinerary
Lovely Titicaca

Though I did not personally visit Lake Titicaca, it’s on the list because it’s one of the more common stops on most Peru itineraries. I’ve heard mixed reviews to be honest. Some people say that it’s quite touristy and others say that it is quite spiritual. My guess is that if you’re really looking hard for a spiritual experience, you can find it there. The lake is huge, after all. From here you can head south into Bolivia over the water. This is something I would like to try in the future. You can read more about Lake Titicaca on this blog.

Cordillera Blanca

santa cruz trek peru itinerary
When you match the scenery in your mint green jacket.

Though the whole country truly is beautiful, the Cordillera Blanca mountain range might be the crown jewel of Peru. It’s not nearly as popular as Cusco and Machu Picchu of course, but there are several hikes, and mountain tops, and incredible lagoons in shades of blue that are hard to believe even when you’re staring at them with your own eyes, that all make a visit worth it. I did the Laguna 69 and Santa Cruz hikes there and both were fantastic. I can’t wait to go back and do Huayhuash!

Access via Huaraz from a stop in Lima. The bus ride takes 9-10 hours, which you can either do overnight or during the day.

The Amazon

amazon peru itinerary
So vast and magnificent

Over 60% of Peru is covered by the Amazon Rainforest, so you really can’t visit Peru and feel like you’ve seen it unless you get a taste of this jungle. For me, it was a journey I’d dreamed about ever since I was a child.

During my five days staying out in an off the grid ecolodge in the jungle, I saw nine sloths, pink river dolphins, went swimming in the alkaline water which honestly felt like a day spa, and got to canoe all in and around the mangroves. If crossing in from Columbia or Ecuador, one could traverse through the Amazon to get into Peru as well.

Iquitos is the perfect jumping off point for this adventure, which you will need to either boat or fly into, as no roads lead into it. You can read a lot more details about how to visit the Amazon here.

Getting Around:

The easiest way to get around Peru is either by flying with one of the country’s regional airlines, or by taking buses. The buses in South America generally can be pretty nice with fully-reclining seats, depending on the company. Cruz del Sur is widely regarded as the best company in terms of service and the quality of the buses, though it is slightly more expensive than the rest. This is the method that I used to get from Lima to Huaraz and back. For the rest of the time, I either flew or had private transport as part of the BMTM Adventures tour.

If you’re not on a tour, I recommend the methods listed above. There is also a company called Peru Hop which services backpackers with slightly nicer buses, and they make it a bit easier if your Spanish is lacking. However if you can speak even a little bit, I recommend going the independent route as it is much cheaper. You can read more about how to get around, what the accommodation and food is like, and how to stay connected in my Peru guide.

Though this is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the places in Peru, it can get you started on planning the ideal itinerary. I didn’t know before going how incredibly diverse this country would turn out to be, and how interested I would be in returning again and again.

Peru, I’ll be back and that’s a guarantee.

Visiting Peru? Here's an awesome Peru itinerary that covers Lima, Cusco, Huacachina, Rainbow Mountain, The Amazon, and so much more. This itinerary is a South American adventure dream come true! #Peru #PeruItinerary #SouthAmerica
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READ NEXT: 15 things to Know Before Hiking the Inca Trail



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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Ijana Loss says

    06/12/2018 at 10:01 am

    Thank you for having perfect taste in travel destinations and doing so much research for us!! <3

    Reply
  2. Rebecca says

    06/17/2018 at 7:36 pm

    I LOVE Peru! It’s such an amazing country – and now reading this post I’ve been reminded that I need to get back there and see so much more.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/19/2018 at 9:34 pm

      I can’t wait to go back and see more too!

      Reply
  3. Jim says

    05/17/2019 at 10:15 am

    Great article. However. Machu Picchu is not one of the seven wonders of the “ANCIENT” WORLD.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/17/2019 at 12:31 pm

      Pretty sure it is a wonder of the world!

      Reply
  4. Rajkumari says

    08/15/2019 at 11:26 pm

    Heya…awesome blog!!!!
    Would like to know more about the city.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      08/16/2019 at 8:56 am

      Lima? Which city?

      Reply
  5. Jeremy Gillespie says

    08/21/2019 at 1:59 pm

    I’m planning a trip to Lima and Cusco for February and this was great info. I’d love to know more about off the grid adventure, the Amazon and more. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Neetu Jain says

    09/08/2019 at 10:53 am

    Hi there,

    I am planning to visit Peru next summer with my family and am starting the planning process now. We are a family of five (2 adults three teenagers 18, 16,13). We plan to do the INCA Trail and would like to what other highlights you think we should definitely see. Is two weeks too much??

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/08/2019 at 1:28 pm

      The things on this list! No 2 weeks might even feel short!

      Reply
  7. Shreyas Nair says

    11/03/2019 at 3:00 am

    Hi Kristin,

    This is a lovely blog. Hugely helpful.

    We are a group of 8 looking to visit Peru in June 2020 for about 10-12 days.

    Have made a draft plan:

    14/06/2020 Toronto – Lima
    15/06/2020 Lima
    16/06/2020 Lima-Huacachina
    17/06/2020 Huacachina – Lima – Cuzco
    18/06/2020 Cuzco
    19/06/2020 Machu Pichu
    20/06/2020 Machu Pichu
    21/06/2020 Rainbow Mountains & Red Valley
    22/06/2020 Cuzco – Lima – Huaraz
    23/06/2020 Huaraz – Cordillera Blanca
    24/06/2020 Huaraz – Lima
    25/06/2020 Lima – Toronto

    Do you think this is doable?

    Also while we visit Machu Pichu, do you suggest we stay somewhere close by so that we can visit the Rainbow mountains the next day?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/03/2019 at 5:22 am

      I’m not totally sure that you can go from Cuzco to Huaraz in one day, and also consider that the Cordillera Blanca is a large park with multiple options, all high altitude hiking. I’d consider cutting Huacachina and spending more time in Huaraz if you want to hike. You can base in Cuzco for Machu Picchu and the rainbow mountain if you find that easier. This is a lot of transit time so be ready for that!

      Reply
      • Shreyas Nair says

        11/24/2019 at 6:49 am

        Thanks Kristin for your advice.

        We have changed the plan a bit. We will put up at Cuzco and cover Machu Pichu, Rainbow mountains, Red Valley and Laguna Humantay.

        15/06/2020 Lima
        16/06/2020 Huacachina
        17/06/2020 Huacachina – Lima – Cuzco
        19/06/2020 Laguna Humantay
        20/06/2020 Machu Pichu
        21/06/2020 Machu Pichu
        22/06/2020 Rainbow Mountains & Red Valley
        23/06/2020 Cuzco – Lima

        Thanks again.

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          11/25/2019 at 9:54 am

          I’m still not totally sure you can make it from Huacachina to Cusco in one day but if you found a way then go for it!

          Reply
  8. Cindy Labish says

    04/12/2020 at 8:25 am

    Do u think travel will still be restricted ? Changed our travel plans to Jan 2021 ( is January a good month though to travel to Peru?)

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/12/2020 at 9:44 am

      Unfortunately nobody can know right now when restrictions will lift 🙁

      Reply
  9. Aqsa Rani says

    04/24/2020 at 10:50 am

    Hi, bemytreavelmuse !!
    That was a very perfect itinerary for a buddy trip.Such a great article. Thanks for sharing this article with us. I really appreciate your work.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/25/2020 at 10:06 am

      Great I’m so glad!

      Reply
  10. GG says

    01/22/2023 at 8:46 am

    Hi Kristin: Would the recent unrest impact Peru itineraries or is that restricted to isolated areas and it should be fine? Thanks!

    Reply

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